Citation

Verona E, Patrick CJ, Lang AR. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 2002; 111(2): 249-258.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Ohio 44242, USA. everona@kent.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, American Psychological Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12003447

Abstract

Affective priming of aggression was examined in groups low and high in trait negative emotionality (NEM) using a Buss aggression paradigm. Negative affect was induced by exposure to aversive air blasts during some intervals (threat) and not others (safe). Phasic negative affect was assessed using startle reflex potentiation, and tonic distress was indexed by startle sensitization. Participants delivered shocks faster during threat versus safe intervals, indicating that phasic distress primed aggression. Following initial exposure to air blasts, high NEM participants showed enhanced tonic distress and delivered persistently more intense shocks than low NEM participants. These findings indicate that sustained negative affect biases high stress-reactive individuals toward more intense acts of aggression, with phasic distress affecting the rapidity of aggressive response.

Language: en